The Final Episode: 3 Peat in Binghamton

The Final Episode- We end where we started. Binghamton is the team to beat. @swancommander is joined by Black Bears head coach Brant Sherwood and Hat Tricks general manager A.J. Galante to break it all down. Thank you for your support in this show and for being with us all season!

The conversation continues in the Discord — join free here: https://discord.gg/7UVWaJyR4d

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:49

But the footprint is downdated as that one hockey is now bringing you behind the scenes behind the screen. Beyond the arena. This is FPHL. Beyond the glass. Beyond the glass.

SPEAKER_03 1:13

What's going on, everyone? Welcome back to the final episode of FPHL Beyond the Glass, the official podcast of the Federal Prospects Hockey League. I'm your host, Eric Swannick, Swan Commander on social media. Another season in the books, we have a champion. Bighamton Black Bears have three-peated this episode. We are going to be joined by Bighamton Black Bears head coach Brant Sherwood. We're also going to be joined by AJ Galante, the general manager of the Danbury Hattricks. AJ's been on board for the whole playoff series. So we're gonna we're gonna talk to AJ and then we're gonna head over to Brent. Let's get into it. And we are wrapping up the season. We got Danbury Hattricks general manager AJ Galante back, who's been with us throughout the entire playoff series. He's bringing it home with us. AJ, we got our three Pete. What's going on?

SPEAKER_00 2:06

They saved me, man. You know, like I said, going back about a month ago, you know, whenever playoffs started, I had my I had my big board, I had my bracket, and I had Binghamton going. And thank God they were the only thing I was right about the whole playoffs. And uh hey, you know what? Congrats to them. They uh they did what champions do, man. They they uh close it out at home. And uh man, what a what a what a what a way to clinch it.

SPEAKER_03 2:34

Yeah, absolutely, yeah, absolutely. I mean, uh like it just showed why you know they are who they are, right? Like when it when things come down to the wire, I mean, like, you know, I think we used the term stepping on the opponent's neck in a previous episode. I mean, that's really like you know, when it came down to it, they were just like you could just see how seasoned they are, how experienced they are, how you know, just execution was there, consistency was there. Um, it's why they are who they are. I mean, we started off this, we started off this podcast with the summer series. Um, Bigamton was the first, you know, first team on the the podcast, they're gonna be the last one off the podcast. And um, you know, everybody throughout the whole summer series was saying, hey, we got to build a team to beat Bighamton. And I mean, it's almost like we didn't need to play the season, but uh, you know, we're kind of right right where we right where we started, full circle.

SPEAKER_00 3:25

Yeah, I mean, uh, like I like I was saying all these weeks, it's like um no matter how much, you know, sometimes when things happen in real time, you want to waffle your picks around, but I've always kept saying the experience, the comfort, you know, the comfort level these guys have together, a lot of them have been together forever. Um they just know how to win, man. And and they uh they really, you know what, we hold them to such a standard that when they have an off night, right? That it's almost like, oh my god, are they gonna choke? Are they gonna, oh my god, it and then they just show like the last two games, they just show who they are, and that's who they are. And uh it's just so funny when you're that good, the standard you you you you have for them, they have an off-night, an off period. All of a sudden you're like, oh my god, are they are they they're gonna blow this thing? You know what I mean? But uh they handled business, they deserve all the credit in the world.

SPEAKER_03 4:21

Yeah, yeah, really impressive. And I'll tell you what, like PD, like again, taking nothing away from PD, like what they did was nothing short of you know, incredible. And you know, I really think you know, to me, the other team that really stuck out was Port Euron. Those three Bigham Tin, PD, Port Euron, I thought, you know, were really, really strong this playoffs. Um, you know, obviously we've talked about the last couple of weeks with PD and the upsets that they've pulled, especially that first round against Athens, which I don't think anybody would have predicted that. I think there's a lot of people that aren't necessarily like, you know, shocked that they won, but to do it the way they did and you know just take care of business and take care of it so quick, like that was that was the big surprise to me of this postseason. But you know, those three teams I thought really um really, really cool. It'd almost be cool to see like a tournament style finish the first three teams. That that'd be kind of cool too.

SPEAKER_00 5:15

Well, I mean, listen, it's it's it's great for the league. Like I said, you know, the the teams that have performing all season, they were there at the end. You know what I mean? It's uh I as a fan, I I love the format. I love as a fan, I love three-game, five-game series, you know. Um little stressful when you're involved with it, but uh yeah, I was you can't take anything away from PD. They just they have something special down there, and they're gonna be um they're gonna be a force going forward. So it's gonna be very interesting how uh the offseason plays out going into opening night next season. Um season just flew by. I can't even believe we're we're we're gonna, you know, before we know it, we'll be going into opening night. So it's gonna be amazing to see how the offseason plays out and and everything else.

SPEAKER_03 6:04

Yeah, absolutely. And like another thing that we've been talking about the show, and it's in the intro, is like how quickly the league is expanding. And you know, I said in a you know, one of the first episodes like that, hey, I wouldn't be surprised to you know see this league go coast to coast one day. I didn't think it was gonna be this quick, but next year we'll be coast to coast. So it's the storyline that we started off with this show is kind of you know, it's uh it's the same way we're finishing, which you know, I thought was pretty cool. But yeah, like the league's doing really, really cool things. Um, you know, Commissioner Don Kernan said during the the final game in Bighamton last week that we that the league has broken a million fans through the gates this year, which is really incredible. I know that that was a goal um and a projection which has been met. And yeah, I mean the league's just really, really pushing the pace. Um, you know, not without some stumbling along the way. Anytime you're anytime you're trying new things and doing them this quickly, right? There's you know, anytime you're just running forward, it's um you know, you're gonna have to deal with some stuff along the way, and it's all how you handle it. I mean, uh, the league is I mean, the league's stronger than ever right now.

SPEAKER_00 7:08

Yeah. No, you see, you see it. I mean, I've only been involved a short time, but you can just kind of see the the direction, and um like I said, it's gonna be an interesting offseason. Um, you know, you hear some of the headlines, but you don't know what goes into everything, so it's gonna be interesting the next few weeks, kind of where the league is is gonna situate things, and um, yeah, it's it's it's growing, and um uh it's just good for hockey and and uh it's good for the league, and and we'll see how everything shakes out.

SPEAKER_03 7:39

Yeah, for sure. And it's gonna be you know, now it's like, hey, do we see our first four peat as the other you're for? I guess that would be the way you say it. I don't know if anyone's ever really had a say before. Um, you know, at least not often, but um, you know, I guess a lot of the goals for organizations stay the same. It's gonna be you know, a different dynamic now with the you know West Coast. Um, but that you know, I wonder if we're gonna get the talk of, you know, again, kind of a storyline staying the same. Gotta build a team to beat Binghamton. And will we see a four-peat? I know you have other plans. I know that this, you know, Binghamton's three-peat was the first step in your three-peat.

SPEAKER_00 8:12

Um, so yeah, man, I mean, listen, they they have their three-peat, that's great, happy for them. But but now uh now the now the hard work starts for myself personally, and uh, you know, our hockey ops here and Danbury, and uh, yeah, it's just they're the team to beat. Um, they're the measuring stick, and and I think we we feel very confident going into next year that we we have we have a formula. Whether it works out or not, I don't know. It's it's all building a it's like a recipe. You know, you tinker with the ingredients, but we we we feel beyond confident going into next year, and uh yeah, you know, it's it's gonna be it's gonna be a lot of work, a lot of fun, and um I love it. I love the fact they're in our division. I want to beat the best, you know. Like I don't want I want we don't want an easy way to it, so it's gonna be a lot of fun, but again, Binghamton's used to it, they've been doing it the past few years. They they are you know they're the ones people are hunting for. So we'll see how it all shakes out.

SPEAKER_03 9:12

Yeah, absolutely. What um any other surprises on your end for the playoffs? Like, you know, for me, for me, the surprise was the PD, the PD Athens series. Um, again, just looking back at just such great playoffs all around. I mean, the the Blue Ridge uh Port Euron series was awesome. I mean, like it was really an incredible playoffs, one of the best that I could remember. Um, you know, even outside the the FPHL.

SPEAKER_00 9:38

Well, listen, I mean, to be honest with you, uh, we've been talking about it, and it's it's kind of like oxymoronic, but Columbus surprised me. I I just didn't think great team. Um that that division is crazy, man. It's like a camouflage. You could have an amazing team, and it kind of just gets lost in the mix, they're not flashy, they just get it done. I really I really thought Monroe was gonna go on a little bit of a run.

SPEAKER_03 10:03

Yeah, that's true too. I mean, we we forget about that. That Monroe, you know, got knocked out early.

SPEAKER_00 10:09

Yeah, so I was a little I was a little surprised at that. Um, but yeah, I mean, I I guess, and it it sounds crazy because they're so good, but just PD, man, it's like getting through Athens, I thought was gonna be one of those things that was such a major accomplishment that it was gonna take all the air out of their tires, and that's kind of where they were gonna peep. But they handled business, beat another model franchise in this league in Columbus, and um beat Binghamton at least, you know. They beat Binghamton once in the finals, right? So I mean it's like uh they they they really it's so weird, like you said, man, because it's like it's not a surprise, but it was it is it was very it was a crazy postseason, yeah. Um but ultimately bingo got it done kind of like I anticipated, and it's that experience and that comfort level they have with each other. Great coach, great franchise, and uh congrats to them.

SPEAKER_03 11:07

Yeah, for for sure. And I'm I'm happy you brought that up with Monroe, because again, like that that's something that I think you know, there's just been so many other crazy things that have happened, like you know, really cool um you know, things that have happened in this playoffs that we forget about that. Yeah, that like Monroe, like they were a powerhouse. I mean, they were off to like what almost a 20-game did they hit 20, 20 game win streak in season, right?

SPEAKER_00 11:27

And then they yeah, it was something crazy. Yeah, I remember that.

SPEAKER_03 11:30

Yeah, like there's uh you know, like there's some very good teams in this league that you know were were out, you know. Um but yeah, like just just nuts. Um, you know, and again, just like Athens. I mean, it'd be interesting to see, you know, the like you think about what series could have been, you know, not saying we would have gotten any different of an outcome, but like you know, Binghamton Athens could be fun. It all could have been fun. Bighamton, you know, any like again, we talk about that continental division, how consistent and or just that pod there. I mean, any one of those series would have been a blast, and you could say the same thing for Port Euron. Like, there's yeah, there's there's some really, really good teams.

SPEAKER_00 12:08

Um, you know, from a from a from a fan perspective, from a fan perspective, Port is a fun team to watch. Um, you know, they're scrappy, they could turn it up as well offensively. They arguably had, I mean, my god, think about the goaltending in this league. I mean, yeah, you had Cooper, Dominic Tamey. I mean, you had you have some amazing goal goaltenders in this league, and um, you know, you look at a port here on and it's like, damn, man, they're a fun team from a fan perspective, they're a lot of fun to watch. You know, Reggie Millette, they had those D1 guys at the end of the year, very fun, very fast, scrappy. So, you know, they got a nice little core. Um, this is the fun part. Well, for a fan, I mean, I don't know if it's even fun for a fan. It's like it there's so much uncertainty going into an offseason. Who's gonna move up? You know, leagues, who's gonna stay? It's it's a lot of tough decisions, and and this is where you know this is this is the stressful time. In the offseason is where you try to make it all work.

SPEAKER_03 13:13

Yeah, yep, yeah. No, a lot of a lot of work behind the scenes now. Um, getting ready for the for the next season. But AJ, anything you want to end off with? I I appreciate you doing the whole playoff series here. It's been a I know we had a lot of fun. Um, you know, so I I appreciate it a lot. Um, anything that you want to end off with.

SPEAKER_00 13:31

No, I appreciate you. Um, I love being part of this league. Um, I'm excited to keep this thing rolling. And uh yeah, just about 52 weeks from now, we'll be talking about a Danberry title. And uh, you know, it'll be it'll be a lot of fun. So bookmark bookmark this page because uh in about 51-52 weeks, we'll we'll be having a different conversation.

SPEAKER_03 13:52

I love it. I love it. All right, dude. Well, I'll talk to you soon.

SPEAKER_00 13:57

Yes, sir. Appreciate you, man.

SPEAKER_03 13:58

Uh same here. What's going on, Brent? Welcome back to the podcast. Congratulations.

SPEAKER_04 14:07

Thanks so much. Yeah, awesome. Uh, we got the job done. Um, it's becoming an annual thing uh over here in uh Binghamton.

SPEAKER_03 14:16

I know. I was telling, I was telling AJ, I feel like this, like we almost didn't need to play the season, like we're right back to where we started. So the first the beginning of the podcast in the summer series, right? You're the first team on. Now you're the last man standing. And everybody all summer was like, oh, we gotta build a team to beat Binghamton. That's what it's about. Gotta beat Binghamton. And here we are, not much has changed.

SPEAKER_04 14:38

Nope. Um, I'm just happy that you know these guys listen to me and they keep pushing each and every year. It's uh it's pretty impressive, and it goes to show you what kind of you know, leadership and that core that's been coming back every uh three years has been uh has been leading the way. So it's uh yeah, it's been quite the pleasure to work in this organization, work with these guys.

SPEAKER_03 15:04

Yeah, for sure. And you mentioned leadership, you got coach of the year, so congratulations on that too. And that's another thing. Everybody was complimenting you all summer long, saying how great of a coach you are. You get coach of the year again. We're it's like it's like we're in the same spot.

SPEAKER_04 15:17

Yeah, yeah. Hey, it's about time, you know. No, uh it's uh it it's an honor. And um uh I would I was very pleased. And you know, you don't really you don't care as much about the individual accolades, but that that one felt good, and that's uh that's a big help to uh my associate head coach, uh John Quimville. He's been you know such a great influence on me and his uh habits and details that he's brought from uh the National Hockey League and places he's played over in Europe have uh have propelled this team quite a bit. And um, I think he was a major difference because this year was definitely harder uh winning the winning the whole thing.

SPEAKER_03 16:00

Yeah, how how did this year compare compare to previous years? Like what was the difference this year?

SPEAKER_04 16:04

I think there was a little bit more adversity. I think there was more parody in the league. Um yeah, uh we ran into a tough team in the in the second round with Port Huron, and then you know, facing a completely different team in PD, not as physical, but you know, great transition game, very opportunistic. Um, they had this flick and chase style that we needed to make adjustments on, and yeah, it was uh it was a little bit more difficult, a little, I wouldn't say stressful, but a little bit more competitive. It was uh it was a fun uh playoff run.

SPEAKER_03 16:41

Yeah, absolutely. Was so one thing that AJ and I have been talking about was just like even the mindset leading up to this. Was there any added pressure or any distraction with the whole three-peat, right? Like where like we've been talking about that where it's like all right, we got it, like they gotta stay focused on winning the championship, not focused on hey, the three-peat, because you don't get anything for the three-peat. It's you know, the the two go hand in hand, but I could see how players and you know uh teams could put that added pressure that, like, hey, this is we've also got this other thing off to the side here that it could be a three-peat. Um, was there any bit of that or any you know effort to consciously just kind of block that piece out of it?

SPEAKER_04 17:20

Um yeah, I think from the coaching side, yes, but I I'm sure these players put a lot of pressure on themselves uh to get to get that job done. But overall, I think just making it to the finals is is what you what you go out to do. Um, you want to get to the dance and you know, whatever it takes to get there. But once you get there, I think that you kind of relieved from the pressure. It's like, oh, we're here, let's just get it done. You know, stay in the moment and be focused. Um so yeah, I think uh yeah, that I think the second year had a little bit more pressure because you know, you just say back to back more, three peats, like we didn't really focus on that. We were just uh you know, day by day team, focused on the process, stay in the moment, one shift at a time, five five minutes at a time, stuff like that.

SPEAKER_03 18:13

Yeah, yeah, for sure. Like walk walking through the playoffs, was it a bit I mean, I'm assuming it was a relatively I don't want to say shock, but when PD beat Athens, what was the reaction like there? Because obviously I'm assuming you guys are paying attention to what the other division's doing, what potential matchups could look like. Obviously, you gotta stay, you know, in the moment and focus on your own matchups first to get to the dance, like you said. But like what was like you know, in terms of like your guys' reaction or your guys' prep or planning, was that did that kind of throw a wrench in things? Like, were you guys ex I'm assuming most people were expecting Athens to come out of that series?

SPEAKER_04 18:53

I I expected uh I expected three games at least, and I didn't expect uh quite the blowout that um you know we saw down there. But when we we got to play both Athens and PD, and Athens took it to us the first night, and then you know we we kind of returned the favor the next night.

SPEAKER_02 19:13

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 19:14

But when PD came up here in January, and I think I've I've been on here and saying they're they're a really good team, they're underrated, I wouldn't sleep on those guys. So I wasn't necessarily surprised that they that they won the series, but I was surprised by the scores that that's what fashion that they did it in. Yeah, big time. The fact that they put up that uh that amount of goals like each and every night. I mean, I think Lekkoff had 16 points or something after uh after the first round. So um I was a little I think uh Athens is a little passive, you know, especially in their D zone. And with the speed and um, you know, skating ability that some of the players have on PD, you you gotta end plays early and you gotta be aggressive with them and you gotta stay on top of them. And that was one of the little adjustments that we made uh when we faced them in the in the finals.

SPEAKER_03 20:10

Yeah, and it's I you know, is that that the whole playoffs were awesome, right? And that's like one thing we spoke about was that you know, the playoffs were so unlike a little bit of predictable, but unpredictable unpredictable, but entertaining the entire time, right? Like obviously, you guys being the favorite, right? Everybody expected you guys, you know, you got you guys were the favorite from like we said, day one on the podcast. You guys have been the favorite by everybody, and but you guys still had a tough road, right? It was no, you know, it was no cakewalk, you know, especially that port you're on series. And the Continental Division was almost flipped upside down. Like again, like to your point, yeah, like you can't, I agree with you, you can't sleep on PD. And I've been saying the last few weeks, like that, hey, it's you know, maybe like it's just their true colors kind of showing through now. Like, I think everybody's more seeing them for what they are. I think they've been this team for a while. But I think if you would have said that by the second round of playoffs, there was no chance that Athens or Monroe would be coming out of the Continental, I think people most people would have said, Hey, you're crazy.

SPEAKER_04 21:15

Yeah, I I think you're totally correct with that statement. Um, you know, you look at roster to roster, like with those teams down there, Monroe and Athens, they probably one of those teams should have been competing for a final, and they they get the short end of the stick, and that's the way playoffs goes. It's it's unpredictable. You got to be able to, you know, bounce back pretty quickly and flush a loss and get over it and move on and make the necessary adjustments that your team needs to make and kind of look yourself in the mirror and uh step up to the task. Yeah, port port Huron. That was a that was a pretty grueling series. It was a heavy physical series, and uh Reed Cooper did an amazing job. But um getting that first game up there um on Thursday or whatever, that was that was absolutely huge. Um Mac Jansen, you know, really stepped up in that series. I think he scored 75% of our goals. It wasn't a high scoring series for us. And our our goalie Dominic Tame stood on his hat, getting a one-nothing victory on the road, and then came back to our own barn. And you know, Kite kind of got it handed to us, and uh we regrouped really well the next day and uh and really bounced back.

SPEAKER_03 22:35

Yeah, yeah, that that's like that series too is on you know unbelievable. Um, you know, and I imagine you know, somewhat of you know, um, you know, one of the bigger moments in the playoff run for you for you guys. Obviously, the playoffs, you know, in this league, they're quick, they're short, every moment's huge. But I think that, you know, in my opinion, like that that series was uh, I don't want to say a pivotal moment, but that was it was a big one.

SPEAKER_04 22:57

It was it was so much fun, you know, some some ups and downs, and then uh, you know, guys just pulling up their pants and going to work. Um that uh that Sunday game, I I don't think it was as close as what the score said. Like when we come to play, you can kind of know in the first five five minutes, you can know in the first period that the the ice is tilted. It's like 20 shots to five shots, and I'm happy with our game, even if we're going down into the second period or tide or whatever, because you know it's eventually gonna come. And whether the floodgates open or you know, you kind of just lock it down and you have the puck the entire time, and you're just kind of playing keep away in their in their D zone. It's um you just you can really tell when that effort's there and when our boys are going, and sometimes it's not there, and that's my job to make sure uh you know they're ready to go, whether it's uh adjustment in in between periods or uh the next day.

SPEAKER_03 24:02

Yeah, yeah. Cause I I I'm obviously remember that. Like there's um you know, you know, Reed Cooper, you know, really did a great job. Like, I remember it was probably you know what was it? Was it tide going into the second, or you guys were up by one going into the second? But you know, shots were very, very lopsided.

SPEAKER_04 24:19

And um yeah, we were going into that third, and then we we ended up getting up on the power play, and then um Bondarenko had a like great A opportunity, gets tackled in the slot by uh by Matt Graham, their coach, and we end up going on a five on three and uh Mac Jansen Berry's great little passing sequence, and um, yeah, that's how we got them, and then we didn't give them any life after that. And I know they're pretty upset with the five on three call, but I think it's pretty suiting for you know all the penalties they took all year. I think that was the way they were supposed to go out, is with uh, you know, penalties.

SPEAKER_03 25:02

Yeah, yeah, they uh I know they've been a very you know, very physical team, and I think we we we touched on that. I th I want to say it was like the first playoff episode where it was gonna be kind of like okay, I think we were talking about it with Blue Ridge and Port Euron, where okay, whoever dictates the pace of the series probably has the the advantage, um, you know, and likelihood to come out to come out on top.

SPEAKER_04 25:26

So yeah, yeah. I mean, um it if you wanna, you know, ride that line and play with that edge, you you gotta know how to manage it like to a T. And sometimes you go over and you know, you're on the kill. And if you don't have uh if you're not confident in your kill, or a lot of a lot of teams are confident in their five on four, but you gotta be confident in your five on three if you wanna if you want to take penalties like that late in the game.

SPEAKER_03 25:52

So well the special teams are so huge this time, you know, especially this time of year, playoffs and everything. And I wanted to ask you, so one thing that um I think AJ actually pointed it out, and you know, we've been kind of laughing about it because it's been so true, but you know, kind of laughing about the last three weeks on here is you guys have an unbelievable ability to score back-to-back, like a quick burst of two, three goals. Is that something? Is there any method behind that madness? And feel free not to share to just say no, I'm not sharing that, but like it, like there's been so many times this season where you guys score, and then 30 seconds later you score again, or there's a span of two minutes where you guys will pump in three, and it's just been consistently like that all year long.

SPEAKER_04 26:38

We we just call it bump shifts. So um, goal four, goal against, we need to move on quickly. So I have a bunch of like seagulls on the bench going bump, bump, bump shift, bump shift, and uh it's just I think it's just registered in the brain that like, hey, we need to we need to take this momentum and run with it, or we need to get the momentum back as quickly as possible. So um that's just like once again, kudos to our leaders and um kind of having uh that mindset throughout our locker room that like, hey, we're just focused on the next shift and let's keep it going and and stay hungry and you know have zero complacency in our game after a goal four.

SPEAKER_03 27:21

Yeah, yeah, no, it's it's incredible because I remember it actually may have been the port you're on series where you guys scored when it got waved off, forget why, and then literally like 30 seconds later, you guys just put in another one.

SPEAKER_04 27:32

Yeah, um, yeah, I think that's just our mindset of being being relentless, and you know, we were here to dominate each and every year, and um that kind of trickles into uh those momentum swings in the game.

SPEAKER_03 27:47

Yeah, and the uh the other thing that's been obviously very noticeable. We I mean we use the term stepping on the neck is that you know you guys have you also have the ability to where it's like, hey, when things get when it gets down to brass tacks, you know, you guys stay focused, you stay dialed, and you get it done. And even like you said before, you know, it comes that Sunday morning or Sunday game where you guys just ramp it up, and you know, you guys have a lot of depth, a lot of experience, a lot of know-how, and you're just able to kind of just block everything out. It's like, all right, it's time to just nail this down and get it done. Like, what do you just experience years of yeah?

SPEAKER_04 28:25

I think it's experience, I think it's uh putting these guys in high pressure situations and practice. I think it's just our natural habits and details. Um, you know, everyone can say, hey, this is our this is our structure. We're we're very much a swarm uh defense, but you can say you're a swarm defense, but if you don't have the details and habits within that and you don't know the the switches and kind of the communications that are necessary to work in that system, then it it doesn't mean anything. So I think our ability to lock it down comes down to our structure and then the the habits within it of you know man managing a puck, making sure um we're taking care of the blue lines when we're chipping the puck. Are we chipping it off the yellow or are we chipping it off the white? Are we putting the puck in in the ditch where you know the goalie can't get it, or questions that come out of the net? And if we're doing a hard rim, are we making sure it's all the way around? And it doesn't, it kind of sounds like common sense, but sometimes when you know players are dumping pucks, they're not you know doing it.

SPEAKER_03 29:42

Yeah, we needed a moment, the discipline to do it, like yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_04 29:45

And um it I think it all just came, it comes about in the playoffs, like even like how you reload above the puck, how we're backtracking our our tracking rules, like being able to sort out things through the neutral zone that you know some teams they might be a little confused on, or they might not you know have those details down. It's uh I think it was a huge advantage for us. And the fact that the guys buy into it is uh it means everything.

SPEAKER_03 30:17

Yeah, absolutely. Like, you know, all the different you know, layers and details, layers of details and everything. And then, you know, I love that you just said that getting the guys, you know, as a coach, being able to not only put all this in place to understand it, be able to teach it, but then get the guys to understand it and to buy into it and to effectively communicate it to the guys in a way that they do understand it and can buy into it. I mean, it obviously says a lot about you, and that's why you're a coach of the year.

SPEAKER_04 30:44

Thanks. It's uh honestly, it's our leaders doing it and then kind of showing the the young dogs, you know, how to do it. And the that that buy-in is, you know, that's that's the recipe. If you if you can get the buy-in where like a guy is not thinking about his, you know, toe drag at the blue line, or how am I gonna, you know, make a move or creative play when there's even numbers off the rush and they're doing what you know, Tyson Kirkby's doing, CJ Stubbs is doing and yeah, you know, doing a self-chip and just kind of putting in a spot where we can get it back because that's what the play calls for at that time, then um, you know, it's it's gonna be hard to it's gonna be hard to beat us when I love that you just said oh sorry, yeah, Brett. Yeah, no, no, go.

SPEAKER_03 31:34

Uh no, it's just gonna say I love that you just said all that because it's like one thing I talk about like with the junior guys and everything. It's like, hey, have you ever had a coach yell at you because your toe drag at the blue line was no good? Like no, like that's not what they want. Like, there's you know, so I just I just love that you went, you know, that you went through all of that. Um, my last question for you, or second to last question, but uh have you started thinking is four feet in the head at all? Is that started yet?

SPEAKER_04 31:59

Or uh it it hasn't. Um I think that's another thing that's different about this year is we're really trying to enjoy this and cherish, you know, what we've accomplished this year, but for the past uh three years, I kind of been telling the boys we want to enjoy it and our fans, they were they were trying to get like let's get the the quad championships going or the a four peat or whatever they want to call it. I'm I'm not buying into it. We're we're with this one, and uh uh we'll take care of next year when we need to take care of next year and just kind of focus on this and make sure our boys get back healthy, and um, you know, we're uh we're we're heading out in the right way. And that this just doesn't happen. This is happens like you know, every couple decades where our team wins three in a row. So yeah, it's special and I want um I want this to be remembered.

SPEAKER_03 32:59

Yeah, for sure. Now, my last question for you. Is there anything you would like to end off with?

SPEAKER_04 33:05

Um it was uh I would just honestly, I'd just like to thank our ownership. Uh they're they're the best. They uh I'm I'm happy they listen to me and you know get the guys what they need as far as you know, housing, travel, um pumping up our locker room, like with our with our gym, or you know, making sure that we have all the right nutrients and uh snacks, everything we need to to get the to get the job done so the boys can just focus on hockey. And then um I'd like to thank John Quimble for hopping on board with me this year. He's uh he's been tremendous um as far as like my my maturity and my approach to the game. And uh he's brought he's brought a ton of professionalism um to our organization. And then lastly, I'd just like to thank our guys. They're they're the best, and um, they're the ones that kind of make me look good. So um I appreciate everything they've done. And it's uh it's been quite the ride. It's been it's been a ton of fun.

SPEAKER_03 34:13

Yeah, for sure. That's awesome. Well, Brent, thank you again for doing this. Thank you for everything that you've done on this podcast all year long. Congratulations on Coach of the Year. Congratulations on the championship, and I'll talk to you soon.

SPEAKER_04 34:27

Thanks, Eric. Um, appreciate it. And uh go Black Bears.

SPEAKER_03 34:31

Thanks, Brent. All right, let's do our proof of attendance token code for this episode. The proof of attendance token code is Black Bears. Two words. Enter the code at swanhockey.io on the podcast page, and you will be able to receive your proof of attendance token for watching this episode. Codes must be entered by 9 p.m. Eastern, the night that this show airs, Wednesday night. Collect five or more of these tokens, and you will have access to the member only channel inside Club Fed in the Swan Hockey Discord server. You can join the Discord server from the link in the description of this episode. And that's gonna do it for this podcast. It's been an absolute blast and pleasure going through this all season long with you guys. Thank you. There are a couple things in the works that could be coming soon. You can stay tuned and reach out via swanhockey.com. And yeah, thank you everyone. And until next time, I will see you guys soon.

SPEAKER_01 35:31

Thank you for being the best part of this episode of FPHL Beyond the Glass by Swan Hockey. We will see you soon. We will see you soon.